It's been quite a long road trip for the University of Virginia baseball team, but the Cavaliers are hoping to keep their bags packed for Omaha after this weekend's NCAA Super Regional series at Mississippi.

Despite seven of the Cavaliers' position starters being freshmen or sophomores, the team has made an incredible run over the last few weeks.

Virginia captured its first Atlantic Coast Conference Championship since 1996, defeating Florida State in the tournament finale, and then moved on to NCAA Regional play at UC Irvine. The Cavaliers topped the nation's No. 1 pitching prospect Stephen Strasburg in a 5-1 win over San Diego State in the regional opener, and went on to defeat top-ranked UC Irvine twice to earn the school's first-ever NCAA Super Regional berth.

The roster features just four seniors with only pitchers Andrew Carraway and Robert Poultier seeing significant playing time this season. Carraway commends the younger players for sparking the Cavaliers' stellar year.

"I've been on some talented teams, but there's something special about this one," said Carraway. "Poultier and I wish we could say it's senior leadership, but it's the young guys. They just bring some kind of special energy to the field every day. We can go down three runs in the first and the guys on the bench are acting like we're ahead. We're never out of a game. We'd almost rather be on the road because we want to be the underdogs."

Two Virginia freshmen – Danny Hultzen and Stephen Proscia – were recently named to the Collegiate Baseball Louisville Slugger Freshman All-America Team. Hultzen, the first ACC Freshman of the Year in school history, posted a 9-1 record and 2.01 ERA as a pitcher, along with a .335 average at the plate. Proscia, a third baseman, is batting .325 with nine home runs and 56 RBI.

The Cavaliers, nationally-ranked for most of the season, were seeded seventh entering this year's ultra-competitive ACC Tournament, but started clicking at the right time.

"There were times in the season where our pitching would perform really well and our hitting would struggle and vice versa," said Poultier. "We've always had confidence in our abilities and confidence that we can win. Once we got to the ACC Tournament, we kicked into gear and played well and ended up coming out on top. I think we carried that confidence into last weekend."

The boost of winning the ACC Tournament definitely helped propel the Cavaliers through a tough road regional.

"Being able to be on the field with those guys after winning the ACC Championship -- it was something I'd never been a part of-- and I didn't realize what kind of confidence that gives you," said Carraway. 'Getting on that bus and saying that it wasn't the end of the season -- we still had the big fish to fry."

Virginia also traveled across the country to an NCAA Regional last season, but this year the momentum of winning the league championship, and arriving in California a day earlier gave the Cavaliers an advantage.

"Flying out to the West Coast can be difficult," said Poultier. "I think one of the big differences this year is that Coach O'Conner got us out there on Tuesday whereas last year we went out there on a Wednesday."

Poutlier, who returned for a fifth year after suffering back problems last season, is thrilled to have returned to the team for this experience.

"It's been unbelievable," said Poultier. "I expected us to be battling for a championship, and at the point we are, but you never really know the feeling until you're there. Just to win the first ACC Championship at UVa since 1996, and getting past the regionals for the first time in school history -- I couldn't ask for anything more."

Virginia travels to Oxford to face Mississippi in an NCAA Super Regional beginning June 5 at 2 p.m. The second contest will be held Saturday at noon. Both will be broadcast live on ESPN2. If necessary, a third game in the series will be held on Sunday at 3 p.m. on ESPN.

It may have been a slow start for the Florida State baseball team this season, but the Seminoles steadily picked up the pace as the youthful squad came developed into one of the best in the nation this year.

FSU began the season with 22 freshmen and sophomores on its 32-man roster after losing its entire starting rotation and star players like Buster Posey and Jack Rye. The Seminoles turned in a 9-7 record to start the year, and during one stretch suffered three consecutive losses (Auburn, Jacksonville, North Florida) for the first time since 2006.

"I think we were trying to find ourselves and what our team was all about this year because obviously we lost some key players,” said freshman lefthander Sean Gilmartin. "Being one of the freshmen coming in I just wanted to help out in whatever way possible. In the beginning of the year, I think we were finding the identity of the team.”

Gilmartin, along with fellow freshman lefthander Brian Busch, make up two-thirds of the Seminoles' starting rotation, and have stepped up to the challenge of taking the team to its ninth NCAA Super Regional since 1999. The pair has combined for an 18-5 mark this season, while Gilmartin garnered First Team All-Atlantic Coast Conference honors for his 12-3 record and 3.48 ERA.

"I came here with the intention of going to the postseason because that's what every baseball player wants – to get the opportunity to go to Omaha,” said Gilmartin. "Florida State is always right there in contention in the postseason.”

Busch, who made his debut as a starter on March 17, said the toughest part of transition from high school to college learning how to pitch inside and outside.

"I didn't foresee myself coming in and playing the role I am now,” said Busch. "I was just hoping to come in and contribute game by game – an inning or two out of the bullpen – but wasn't planning on coming in and starting right off the bat.

"In high school, it's much different. If you make a mistake pitch kids miss it, but in college anybody has the ability to take you over the fence or hit a pitch hard. You have to be able to manage your game.”

Gilmartin agrees that the level of play was the most difficult adjustment when becoming a starter for the annual national contender.

"The biggest thing for me as a freshman was adjusting to the level of intensity and competition in college baseball,” said Gilmartin. "It's a lot different compared to high school. The game is quicker and guys are bigger and stronger, so that was biggest thing to adapt to that.”

The freshmen do have a large group of teammates that were key contributors when the Seminoles advanced to the College World Series last year, and look to that example.

"Guys like Tyler Holt and Mike McGee, Stuart Tapley -- all of those guys were in the same position as we were last year,” said Gilmartin. "They have the experience and know what it's about. They've been helping us younger guys out with how to handle ourselves.”

Florida State will host Arkansas in a best-of-three NCAA Super Regional beginning June 5. The Seminoles and Razorbacks will face each other since meeting in Super Regional play in Fayetteville in 2004. Arkansas won the series 2-0 to advance to the CWS.

All three games are slated for 12 p.m. starts. The first will be broadcast live on ESPN, and the second on ESPN2. If necessary, the third contest will be shown on ESPN.

No. 1 national seed Texas had its chances to fall victim of an early ousting in the Longhorns’ NCAA Regional last weekend, but there was something powerful would not let them lose.

The Longhorns first survived an NCAA record 25-inning marathon game against Boston College, sparked by a stellar relief performance from Austin Wood, who entered the contest in the seventh inning and tossed 12.1 frames before surrendering a hit. Wood pitched 13.0 scoreless innings, scattering two hits and four walks while striking out a career-high 14 batters in Texas’ 3-2 win.

UT’s penchant for the dramatic did not stop there. The Longhorns needed a ninth-inning walk-off grand slam from Preston Clark to claim a 14-10 victory over fourth-seeded Army in the championship game of the NCAA Austin Regional.

Head coach Augie Garrido called it a magical experience, and one that will certainly help propel the Longhorns as they seek their first College World Series berth since 2005, when the program won its last national title.

"There's something spiritual about baseball like Mother Nature,” said Garrido. "You don't mess with it. I think before a player can really believe in it, he has to experience it. We've experienced it two times in a row. Did one lead to the other? I don't know.

"But is this the kind of experience that gives players more confidence, gives them trust in themselves and helps them reach that level of invincibility that allows them to win a national championship? The answer is yes. It happened to Fresno State. It happened to Oregon State. We have a long way to go, but it's a great step forward. If we can hold on to the confidence that can come from this, and the players deserve to have that confidence, then all things are obtainable.”

TCU, the Longhorns’ Super Regional opponent, will be working off a little magic of their own. The Horned Frogs got a ninth-inning, game-winning hit for the 5-4 victory over Oregon State on May 31 as they captured their first-ever regional championship.

Texas and TCU tangled earlier this season with the Longhorns getting a 6-0 win on April 7. The two squads begin the best-of-three series on June 6 at UFCU Disch-Falk Field.

ANOTHER WEEKEND, ANOTHER TITLE: Winning never gets old -- just ask this year’s LSU baseball team. The Tigers are fresh off winning their 18th NCAA Regional title after taking the Southeastern Conference regular season crown and the SEC Tournament championship during the previous two weeks.

"This makes three weekends in a row that we’ve won a championship,” said head coach Paul Mainieri. "I don’t think winning championships ever gets old; it’s always a lot of fun. This championship is a unique one because there are no trophies given for this championship – we have to win next weekend to get another trophy.”

The No. 3 nationally-seeded Tigers will enter NCAA Super Regional play against Rice on an eight-game winning streak. The Tigers and Owls begin action on June 5 at 6 p.m. CT.

HELLO, AGAIN: The last time Cal State Fullerton’s Dave Serrano and Louisville’s Dan McDonnell crossed paths was when they were both making their first appearances in Omaha as head coaches at the 2007 College World Series.

Serrano was the head coach at UC Irvine in 2007 before taking the helm at Fullerton last year, and led the Anteaters to their only CWS appearance. At the same time, McDonnell guided Louisville to its’ first-ever College World Series berth. The two head coaches never met in Omaha, but will face each other in this weekend’s NCAA Super Regional in Fullerton beginning June 5.

McConnell has helped the Cardinals to a school-record 47 victories, while Serrano is taking the Titans to the Super Regional round for the second consecutive season. Serrano also picked up his 200th career victory in Fullerton’s 16-3 NCAA Regional championship game win on May 31.

NOTABLE: The Atlantic Coast Conference and Southeastern Conference make up half of the Super Regional field with four teams each. Florida State, North Carolina, Virginia and Clemson will represent the ACC, while LSU, Florida, Mississippi and Arkansas will be waving the SEC flag. The two leagues will face off in two of the series with FSU hosting Arkansas and Virginia traveling to Mississippi. Conference USA follows with three squads – Rice, East Carolina and Southern Miss ... Virginia and Southern Miss are making their first appearances in NCAA Super Regional play.

The University of Indianapolis women's softball team may crashing the party that is the Division II Women's College World Series, but the only remaining unranked team in the eight-team championship field is not just going to Salem, Va., this weekend to have a good time.

The Greyhounds will be making their first trip to the Division II Championship this year, just one season after the program reached NCAA Regionals for the first time ever, and head coach Melissa Frost-Fisher is ecstatic with the progress the team has made in the last two years.

"When I first got here we started talking to the ladies about regionals and the World Series, and part of it was getting them to understand that there is life beyond conference play," said Frost-Fisher. "The group of girls we have now is just outstanding, and we lost just a few players last year, so the expectation was to get back to regionals, then get to Super Regionals. We've always talked about the World Series, but as we started playing (in the postseason), it really started to come to life and it became a realistic goal for us."

After suffering a one-run loss in the Great Lakes Valley Championship game, the Greyhounds rolled through their NCAA Regional bracket, advancing to Super Regional action against Saginaw Valley State. UIndy lost the first game of the series, but rallied for two wins, including a convincing 12-3 final score in the deciding game.

"Once we got in the conference tournament and started getting things together a little bit, I saw a completely different spark in the team that I hadn't seen all year," said Frost-Fisher. "It was a spark that was much-needed and we had been waiting on. They came together as a whole and came together as one. Before we knew it, we were down one game at Super Regionals, and there was no hint of our girls giving up and no hint that losing the game was going to happen. Losing was not an option."

The Greyhounds are the only team in the field that won its Super Regional series on the road, something they have adjusted to this season after losing their on-campus facility when the university decided to build a dormitory on the site. The squad moved operations to play at the Indiana Central Little League facility, where they played all of their home games.

"We did some renovations to that field and it actually turned out great," said Frost-Fisher. "It's a great ballpark and great environment, and I think we brought some life back into the youth program there and put a spark in things for them as well."

The experience gave the team a different perspective on the game.

"One of the first things I told our ladies was that there are still seven innings, and still three outs in an inning … the bases are still 60 feet apart and the pitcher's mound is still 43 feet away," said Frost-Fisher. "We talked about keeping the game simple and nothing changed from venue to venue."

The Greyhounds' last three losses have all been by one run, indicating this team is not done fighting until the very end.

"We have really come together, and I think that some of the games that we've lost by one run have brought us even closer together as a team," said junior pitcher Megan Russell. "We're coming together at the right time. Maybe if we would have gotten together like this at the beginning of the season who knows what we would be doing right now. Everybody has the same goal, and now it's the national championship."

"We lost some ballgames early – some close games and some that we were in right until the end," said Frost-Fisher. "I honestly believe that made us stronger. We have always preached that we may be down, but we are never out. We'll always find and way or go down fighting. I just tell them they need to play as every game is their last."

UIndy kicks off the Division II Championship against Angelo State on May 21 at 12 p.m. Angelo State was ranked No. 4 in the final regular season NFCA Division II Top 25, and won the NCAA title in 2004.

"We're on a high from the win we had on Saturday, but we're not going to take that and be satisfied just because it's our first time going to the World Series," said Russell. "We're going to take that and build on it and going to try to win this thing."

Angelo State sophomore Aisha Adams remembers hurdling trash cans in her backyard to work on her technique when first learning the event in high school. Just a few years later, that extra work has paid off as she has qualified for and will compete in six events at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships on May 21-23.

Adams began participating in track and field as a sophomore at Millington Central High School in Millington, Tenn., after one of her basketball coaches commented on her speed and suggested she try the sport. She began as a sprinter, but soon added jumps and hurdles.

After high school, Adams spent a season at Barton County Community College (Kan.) where she helped the school win the 2006 NJCAA Outdoor Track and Field national title, but did not compete collegiately again until transferring to Angelo State on the advice of former Barton teammate Celethia Byrd, now one of the Rambelles' top sprinters.

Adams has made an immediate impact for Angelo State, one of the nation's top Division II programs, winning Lone Star Conference titles in the high jump, long jump, triple jump and the 400-meter hurdles.
She racked up 42 points to earn top scorer honors as the Rambelles captured their third LSC title with a record 331 points.

"(Coming to Angelo State) has helped me hit my goals and do things that I've wanted to accomplish at a faster pace than what I had set," said Adams. "I like the competition – it's good."

Adams will compete in the heptathlon, 100-meter hurdles, 400-meter hurdles, high jump, long jump, and triple jump at nationals. She enters the meet with the nation's top mark in the high jump (1.78m), ranks second in the long jump (6.21m), third in the triple jump (12.33m) and has scored the highest point total in the heptathlon (5529) in Div. II this season.

Six events, including the heptathlon, will be a large undertaking for Adams, who usually competes in just two events during regular season meets, but she is ready for the three-day challenge.

"I'll just try one event at a time, and try to stay mentally focused to accomplish the things I know I can do," said Adams.

Adams notes the heptathlon as her favorite events, and she will draw on that experience as she enters nationals.

"I've learned how to stay positive during the heptathlon because there are a bunch of events, and if one event goes wrong, you still have time to make up for it instead of focusing on something that already passed," said Adams.

Angelo State's women's squad qualified 10 different athletes for the NCAA Championships, including six that will compete in multiple events, giving the Rambelles 24 scoring opportunities in the meet. ASU finished the regular season as the No. 1 team in the NCAA Division II Power Rankings released by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

"We're excited and positive, but at the same time we cannot get too excited," said Adams. "We know we're a target, so we just have to work as a team and know what the ultimate goal is."

Angelo State will serve as the host of the Division II Championships for the fifth time in school history. The school also hosted the event in 1988, 1991, 1992 and 2002.

"It's nice to have nationals here because we practice on this track every day -- it's a little bit of an advantage," said Adams. "I'll try to use it to my advantage this week."

The Rambelles will be looking for their first-ever Div. II outdoor title. Abilene Christian, also a member of the LSC, claimed the 2008 championship, while Lincoln (Mo.) won five straight in 2003-07.

Mississippi claimed its first Southeastern Conference West regular season title since the 1977 season after notching its third league series sweep against then-No. 16 Arkansas last weekend. The Rebels have won a school-record SEC games with 20.

Senior catcher Kyle Henson sparked the Rebels offensively, batting .500 with a .971 slugging percentage and .571 on-base percentage in the series. The native of Conroe, Texas, collected eight RBI and six runs scored along with a home run and a double against the Razorbacks to earn SEC Player of the Week honors.

Henson's weekend was highlighted by a three-run double that propelled the Rebels to a 9-3 victory on May 16 that clinched the series win. He leads the team with eight homers, and ranks third on the squad with a .347 batting average.

The Rebels moved up to No. 7 in the latest Baseball America Top 25, and will play Georgia in the first round of the SEC Tournament on May 20.

PATRIOT ACT: George Mason set the school record for victories in a season as the Patriots picked up their 40th win of the year with a 16-6 win over James Madison on May 15.

The Patriots, who earned the top seed in the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament by compiling a 19-5 league mark, own the best winning percentage in the nation at .800 (40-10). George Mason will be vying for its first CAA Championship since 1992 when it takes on Delaware to start the six-team double-elimination on May 20.

PIRATE POWER: East Carolina sophomore right-hander Seth Maness improved his season record to 9-0 with a victory over Memphis on May 15 as he helped the Pirates to a series sweep of the Tigers last weekend and their first-ever out-right Conference USA regular season title.

The native of Pinehurst, N.C., surrendered just one run on six hits while striking out nine batters without a walk in the seven-inning appearance. Maness has won seven straight starts, including six consecutive outings against C-USA opponents. He ranks second only to teammate Chris Heston in the league with 76 strikeouts, and has given up just 14 walks on the year.

Maness, the 2008 C-USA Freshman of the Year, was named the league's Pitcher of the Week for the second time this season for his performance.

East Carolina, ranked No. 15 in the latest Baseball America Top 25, tangles with UCF in the first round of the C-USA Championship on May 20.

HITTING HIS MARKS: Louisville junior left-hander Justin Marks garnered BIG EAST Pitcher of the Week for his efforts in a 2-1 victory against then-first-place South Florida last weekend as the Cardinals swept the Bulls to take the league's regular season title.

The native of Owesboro, Ky., fanned 12 batters without a walk as he tossed 7.2 scoreless innings in his best performance of the season. Marks improved to 9-2 on the year, and added to his own school records for career wins (27), strikeouts (282) and earned run average (2.82).

The top-seeded Cardinals face Cincinnati in the first round of the BIG EAST Championship on May 19.

THREE'S THE CHARM: Arizona State continued its run of Pac-10 titles with its third straight as the Sun Devils swept Oregon last weekend. It is the program's ninth championship since joining the Pac-10 in 1979.

The third-ranked Sun Devils can capture the outright championship, and automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament, with any combination of an ASU league win or Washington State league loss.

Gustavus Adolphus College longtime men's tennis head coach Steve Wilkinson will be stepping down from the helm of the program at the end of the season, but not without leaving an unparalleled legacy.

Wilkinson, who has led the Gusties for 39 years, is the winningest coach in collegiate tennis history with a 923-278 record, but the two-time NCAA champion head coach is not only known for what his teams have accomplished on the court.

After beginning his career as a professor in the religion department at Gustavus in 1970, Wilkinson eventually combined his interest in ethics with teaching and coaching tennis. To reach more than just the student-athletes in his program, Wilkinson decided to teach the concept during the summer, and formed the Tennis and Life Camps, where each year they serve 1,800 participants of all ages.

Wilkinson developed the philosophy called the "Three Crowns", incorporating the school's logo that symbolizes its' Swedish royal heritage.

"These are three things within your control -- emphasizing a positive attitude, giving total effort and good sportsmanship," said Wilkinson. "The central concept that kids that come through the program, and the summer camps, get is focusing on the things within your control and letting go of the things outside your control. I think it really makes a huge difference in their approach to both tennis and life."

The former University of Iowa tennis player has also been involved in numerous national tennis organizations, serving on the executive committees of the United States Professional Tennis Association, the Intercollegiate Tennis Association, and the United States Tennis Association. Wilkinson cultivated a long friendship Arthur Ashe through these associations, whom he credits with a profound influence on his beliefs in the importance of living a balanced life.

"If you were to look at the national level for someone who personified what tennis and life was all about, I'd point to Arthur," said Wilkinson.

Wilkinson, who recently led the Gusties to their 21st consecutive Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title, has compiled a league record of 334-1 (.997), along with NCAA championships in 1980 and 1982.

Although Wilkinson's dedication to the program kept the Gusties on a consistently successful path, he notes that the competition has gotten tougher during his tenure.

"There are so many more high caliber teams in Division III than when I started coaching," said Wilkinson. "A lot more good tennis players are recognizing that the model of putting academics first and athletics second and thinking about going to a school where they receive scholarships not for their athletic ability, but for their academic achievement or financial need."

Wilkinson will continue to work with the college as the school's club team director, and will focus on fundraising to endow the college's tennis facilities and coaching salaries. This week, it was announced that Wilkinson's assistant coach Tommy Valentini – a 2002 Gustavus graduate – will take the reins from his mentor. Valentini, who is finishing his doctorate in sports ethics at the University of Minnesota, plans to lead the program in the model Wilkinson set for him and so many others.

"I am humbled and honored to have the opportunity to follow my coach and mentor Steve Wilkinson as the men's tennis coach at Gustavus," said Valentini. "I am excited about continuing the tradition of Gustie tennis that means so much to so many of us. The example that Coach Wilkinson modeled for me as a player is what inspired me to pursue a career in teaching and coaching."

No. 10 Gustavus is hosting the MIAC Championship on May 1-2, which decides the leagues automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Championships. The Gusties received a bye in the quarterfinal round, and will play the lowest remaining seed on May 2 in the semifinals.

Florida Southern claimed its 24th Sunshine State Conference title behind the hot-hitting of Sara Lovestrand as the Moccasins got the win they needed to seal up an automatic bid to the NCAA Division II Tournament for the 19th time in program history.

The senior from Crawfordville, Fla., batted .500 in the three game series with two RBI and three stolen bases, but it was her 3-for-3 outing in a 6-0 win over Tampa on April 26 that earned Lovestrand SSC Player of the Week honors for the third time this season.

After the Mocs lost the first two contests of the series, Lovestrand led off the finale with a triple and scored, and then crossed the plate again following a single in the third inning, and capped it off with a two-run double the next inning. The three hits improved her season total to 88, surpassing the previous mark of 85 that had stood since 1996. Lovestrand also paces the SSC with 69 runs, and needs just four to tie the program record. She has set school records for home runs (10) and total bases (153), and tops the team with a .456 batting average.

The Mocs await the NCAA bracket announcement on May 3 for the pairings of the NCAA Division II South Region Tournament.

EAGLES SOAR: Carson-Newman junior pitcher Stephanie Templeton fired a four-hit shutout to spark the Lady Eagles to a 2-0 victory over Wingate as they captured their second straight South Atlantic Tournament Championship on April 26.

The native of Ringgold, Ga., posted a 3-0 record in tournament play, including a pair of shutouts, as she surrendered just five runs in 24.1 innings pitched on the weekend. Templeton also helped her own cause, batting .429 with a home run and four RBI, and was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player.

The Lady Eagles secured an NCAA Tournament berth with their ninth SAC Tournament title. They have won eight straight tournament games.

POWER-PACKED: Metro State junior designated player/catcher Tara Mickelson blasted four home runs in a series win over Chadron State as the Roadrunners wrapped up the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference regular season title.

The native of Wheat Ridge, Colo., batted .600 with 12 RBI and 11 runs scored as she increased her single-season school-record home run total to 22. Mickelson belted two homers in a loss on April 25, and followed it up with a game-tying solo round-tripper in the third game of the series on Sunday. She capped off the weekend with a three-run jack in the championship-clinching win in the series finale.

Mickelson garnered Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division II National Player of the Week and RMAC Player of the Week for her offensive prowess. She batted .615 for the week, raising her season average to .436.

NOTABLE: Northwood's Michelle Boscola was named Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Week after becoming the school's career leader in home runs (18) with three last week, while driving in eight of the Timberwolves' 10 runs ... No. 16 Le Moyne claimed its third consecutive Northeast-10 Conference regular season title after winning its last five league games ... Missouri S&T clinched the eighth and final playoff berth in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association as Jen O'Hara went 4-1 with a save in five starts and seven appearances for the Lady Miners last week. She gave up just one unearned run in 38.1 innings pitched on the week, and became the school's all-time leader in wins during the stretch. She was named Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division II National Pitcher of the Week for her performances. The Miners have won seven of their last 10 games.

Barry University's school-record, 40-win season vaulted the Buccaneers to the top of the latest Collegiate Baseball Division II poll after they notched a series victory over then-No. 15 Tampa in Sunshine State Conference action last weekend.

With a league-leading batting average of .349, the Bucs are on pace to break the school season mark as they are 11 points ahead of last year's program record. Yan Gomes – the school record-holder with 80 RBI and 147 total bases – is batting .406, while Danny Lima tops the team with a .418 average and 81 hits. Barry also boasts the top ERA in the SSC with a 3.74 mark.

The Bucs remained in first place in the SSC standings with the series win, and look to claim the regular season title at Rollins this weekend.

WORTH THE SACRIFICE: Armstrong Atlantic State has rediscovered the lost art of bunting this season, and will be leaving its mark in the NCAA record books after smashing the previous Division II mark for sacrifice hits.

The Pirates have posted 93 sacrifice hits on the year, eclipsing the previous mark of 78 held by Bryant and Georgia College & State University. The total is also a new school record, which surpassed the mark of 90 set in 1984 when the Pirates competed at the Division I level.

Senior shortstop Juan Dorado tops the squad with 33 sacrifice hits, crushing the previous Division II single-season mark of 23. He needs to one to tie the NCAA all-division record of 34 set by UC Irvine's Ben Orloff in 2007.

A GOLD STAR: Cameron University finished off the Lone Star Conference regular season by sweeping Southwestern Oklahoma State last weekend to claim the league title. The Aggies, who jumped five spots to No. 6 in the latest national poll, have won or tied every series they have played this season.

The Aggies exploded at the plate in game three of the series against SWOSU, belting a single-game school-record seven home runs in an 11-10 victory, while senior designated hitter Nate Arevalo became the school's single-season leader in round-trippers over the week as he belted three to increase his total to 18.

Cameron is the top-seeded team in the LSC Tournament, and will face Tarleton State on May 2.

RED HOT: Catawba College's senior catcher Ryan Query was voted South Atlantic Conference Tournament Most Valuable Player after leading his team to the league championship last weekend. The squad knocked off top-seeded Tusculum College to earn a berth in the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional Tournament beginning May 14.

The native of Kannapolis, N.C., batted .500 with seven RBI and four home runs in six tournament games. Query ripped a solo home run to ignite a three-run seventh inning as Catawba claimed a 4-3 win in the championship game.

KEEPING PACE: USC Aiken clinched at least a share of the Peach Belt Conference regular season title for the first time since 1994, and the top seed in the league tournament, with a series victory over UNC Pembroke last weekend.

Freshman Stephen Carmon batted .500 with 14 RBI, two doubles and two home runs to lead the Pacers for the week, earning his second PBC Freshman of the Week honor.

After starting the PBC schedule with a 1-5 mark, the Pacers finished the PBC regular season slate by winning its last seven series, and sweeping three of their last four league series. Until a 17-3 loss to UNCP on April 24, the Pacers were riding a 16-game winning streak. The Pacers are No. 4 in the latest Collegiate Baseball Division II poll.

UCLA junior Megan Langenfeld got it done at the plate and in the circle as she propelled the Bruins to a 3-0 record against No. 7 Arizona and No. 5 Arizona State in Pac-10 action last week.

Langenfeld batted .600 with two home runs and three RBI, while posting a 3-0 mark and 1.65 ERA for the week to garner Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division I National Player of the Week honors. She began the week with eight strikeouts in a complete-game four-hitter against the Wildcats. The next day, Langenfeld sparked the offense with a two-run homer before completing the five-inning 9-1 victory in the circle against the Sun Devils.

The native of Bakersfield, Calif., capped off the weekend with a win in relief against ASU, while reaching base in all five appearances at the plate. Langenfeld once again got the offense rolling with a home run in the first inning, and added two more hits in the victory.

The Bruins retained their No. 2 spot in the latest USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25, and moved into a tie for second place in the Pac-10 standings with the weekend sweep.

POWER AID: Florida State pulled within one game of first-place Georgia Tech in the Atlantic Coast Conference standings after notching a three-game sweep of Virginia last weekend.

Senior catcher Kaleigh Rafter played a key role in the No. 17 Seminoles' success, highlighted by a grand slam in a 12-4 victory against the Cavaliers on April 25. She knocked in seven runs and collected three hits, including a home run and a double, in the series to earn ACC Player of the Week honors.

Rafter ranks fifth in the league with 10 home runs, and sixth in the ACC with 40 RBI. She moved up to fourth on the school's all-time home run list over the weekend.

DUNNE IT AGAIN: Alabama sophomore Kelsi Dunne picked up her second Southeastern Conference Pitcher of the Week award after a stellar week in the circle as the Crimson Tide turned in a perfect 5-0 record.

The native of Port Orange, Fla., was credited with four of the Tide's five victories, which included a no-hitter against Auburn in the series finale. Dunne notched a season-high 14 strikeouts in her fourth career no-hitter.

For the week, Dunne fanned 32 battings in 19 scoreless innings, while posting a .109 opponent batting average. She began the week with seven strikeouts in an 8-0 victory over nationally-ranked Georgia Tech, and came back in the Auburn series opener with 11 strikeouts.

BACK ON TOP: DePaul's Becca Heteniak tossed a trio of complete-game victories as she helped the Blue Demons regain sole possession of first place in the BIG EAST standings last week.

The junior from Simi Valley, Calif., compiled a 1.11 ERA and a .164 opponent batting average, allowing just three runs and striking out 18 batters in 19 innings pitched. Heteniak hurled a one-hit shutout for a 4-0 victory against Syracuse on April 25 as she improved to 12-2 against league opponents this season. Heteniak was tabbed BIG EAST Pitcher of the Week for her efforts.

The Blue Demons moved up one spot to No. 19 in the latest USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 after taking three of four games from conference foes last week.
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